You've Captured My Heart
by Flying Sideways
Summary: AU, Fang works for Itex, Max works for the School. Max is sneaking into an Itex headquarters on a mission, but she's caught by Fang. The only way for things to get more complicated would be if they, like, fell in love, or something. Faxness, of course.
1. Prolouge: Born For This

**(A/N): I've had this idea for a while so here it is!**

**Nudge: Hey, I know you're, like, really excited about the story, but first you have to have a disclaimer, 'cause if you don't have one, everybody will think that you own the books and the idea and us characters and all, but you don't so you-**

**Me: ENOUGH! I don't have to put a disclaimer if I don't want to!**

**Angel: *mind controls***

**Me (in weird, robotic, mind-controlled voice): I do not own Maximum Ride. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go buy Angel some new toys.**

**Angel: Ah, it's good to be me. Enjoy the story, everyone! **

Max's POV

The second I opened my eyes that morning, I was over-whelmed by the realization of what day it was. It was a day I'd been waiting my whole life for.

"Prom?" you ask. "My wedding day?"

Nope, it was (drumroll) Invasion Day! The day that I got to break into Itex's headquarters and steal some very important files. In these files are the information that the School's scientists need to shut down Itex once and for all!

So by now you've probably realized that I'm not a normal girl. See, I was created (a test tube baby) by the company I mentioned above, the School, which was formed to stop Itexicon (Itex for short), an evil corporation bent on taking over the world. The school created many experiments, superhumans, but I was by far their most successful. Part human, part bird, I was gifted with flight and incredible strength.

I grew up at the School. It was an okay place to live, I guess. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't really know. I've never been outside of it's grounds. The one thing that always upset me that we were treated like objects, like robots with no emotion. They refused to call me by my name, Max, adressing me instead by Experiment 6.

I wasn't alone, though, I had two friends, the same species as me, Iggy (Experiment 8) and Angel (Experiment 11). They were like siblings to me.

But what happened to experiments 7, 9, and 10? They were captured by Itex eight years ago, when Iggy and I were just six years old. Angel wasn't even around yet. I don't remember them all that well, to be honest. Sometimes I tried to bring something back, a memory that might be left over. All I've ever gotten was a flash of a dark-haired boy walking beside me. It's very frustrating, because I should have been able to remember, six should have been old enough that a few memories would have stuck, but no matter how hard I try, nothing. Just the quickest glimpse of the dark-haired boy.

But Iggy and Angel were great friends anyway. I almost wished that they could come with me to the break-in, but I knew it would be too dangerous for them, especially since Iggy is blind and Angel is only six (going on seven, as she keeps reminding me).

I hurried to the meeting room, where any last minute preperations were being made. They went over the strategy for me one more time, even though I already knew it by heart. Finally, a scientist turned to me and asked "Are you clear on the plan, Experiment 6?"

"Yep. I'm ready," I replied, cracking my knuckles menacingly. And I was. After all, I was literally born for this.

**(A/N): Sooooo sorry that it's so short, but it's just a prologue. The next one will be longer and, hopefully, up soon. The more reviews I get, the more confident I'll get that people like it and I'll work on it faster. Just someting to think about. **

**I realize that this wasn't very exciting but I had to set the story first. The next chapter will be more interesting, I PROMISE! **


	2. Caught

**(A/N): Wow, it has been waaaaay too long since I updated this! I am sooooooo sorry! Please forgive me! I have a couple other fanfics going on right now on a different site, plus school started and I've had a ton of homework. Still, I should have updated sooner. Again sooo sorry!**

**Fang: Okay, they get it, you're sorry, now just put a disclaimer and get on with the story.**

**Me: Fine! (*sticks tongue out at Fang*) I don 't own MR or anything you recognize from it. I'm just a fan. The biggest fan, true, but a fan. **

**(Yes, that 'biggest fan' thing is a petty way to make you people review! What's it to ya?!)**

I crouched in the bushes behind the Itex building. Already, I had located the window that I was going to enter through: the second one from the left on the third floor. Now all I had to do was wait.

The guards switched around noon, and often the one who had already been standing watch for a while would go in for lunch a bit early, leaving the headquarters unguarded for a precious few minutes. That would be my chance.

I should probably mention that I am not a very patient person. After about a minute and a half of "waiting and watching" I started to get bored and restless. I relaxed a little. There was a small timer in my pocket set to go off a few minutes before 12 o' clock (vibrating, of course, silently), so there was no real need to keep a constant vigil over the guard. I went over the mission plan again in my head.

_Slip through the window into an empty room. Check that the coast is clear, then proceed into the hallway. Four rooms down is a door marked:_

_"Files:_

_Autorized Personel Only"_

_The door is locked at all times, and can only be opened with a certain type of ID card. Unless, of course, one happened to be exceptionally skilled with a knife and knew how to open the door by force without making too much noise. That's when things would start to get dangerous..._

It hit me then. The whole thing was going to be dangerous. I'd always known that, it was obvious, but the realization flooded in now.

Things might not go as planned. The guard might not go in early, I might have to fight him. I might be caught before I even got to the door. There were so many ways for it to go wrong. A lot more than there were for it to go right. I might not come back.

Being careful not to rustle any leaves, I searched around on the ground until I found it: a good, long, pointy stick. Not the best thing to write a last message with, but it was all I had.

_Dear Iggy and Angel,_

_If I don't come back, I just want you to know that I love you both. You're the best friends in the world, and I wish you the best of luck in everything. Iggy, I hope you get your sight back. Angel, I'm sorry I won't get to see you grow up. I'm not even sure if you'll get this message, but in case you do, I'm thinking of you now, and I'll be thinking of you when or if it ends. Goodbye._

_Love Always,_

_Max_

It was a bit sappy, but just in case the worst happened in there, I felt better having written it.

Just then, like it had been waiting for me to finish, I felt the timer start to tremble and shake. Looking through the bush, I saw the guard yawn, stretch, and check his watch. He grabbed his lunch and strolled inside. It was time.

The walls were smooth and impossible to climb, but that wasn't really a problem if you had wings, now was it? I flew up to the window, which probably sounds cool to you, but I kinda wished that I could play with a grappling hook instead.

_"Stop joking around" _I told myself sternly. "_This is serious. The fate of the entire world is at stake here."_ No pressure or anything.

I tried the window and was surprised to find it unlocked. It was in a room that no one used, true, but Itex was very high-security.

I slid the window open and looked inside. It was a room full of desks with a whiteboard at the front. Like a classroom. I began to crawl in, and got about halfway through before I noticed it. The problem. Standing in the dark corner with it's back to me. A boy.

_Crap!_ I started to duck out the window, but _of course_ he turned around and saw me. He looked surprised, then mad. Very, very mad.

"What are you doing here?" he said harshly.

"I work here, but I, um, locked myself out." I improvised, trying to sound like a sheepish employee.

"So you're coming in through a window? On the third floor?"

"Um, yes?"

"Why?"

"Well..." I hesitated, thinking fast. "All the doors were locked and I didn't want to let myself in a room with people in it. I might scare them."

"Why didn't you just call someone and have them let you in?"

"I, um... left my phone inside."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure you didn't leave with out your ID. That's the first rule here, as I'm sure you already knew. So, where is it?"

"Eaten by a bear?" I suggested weakly.

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me the rest of the way through the window, sending me crashing to the floor. He yanked me up. "Come with me," he instructed briskly, keeping a firm hold on my arm to prevent me from running. I was caught.

As we walked, I shot him a sidelong glance. I gasped. If he hadn't been pulling me, I would have stopped in my tracks.

_The dark-haired boy._

**(A/N:) Again, sooooooooo sorry! Anyway, this was a little shorter than I would have liked, and it's a bit of a cliffie, but that's okay, 'cause the next chapter will be up really soon, maybe even tommorow. It won't take me a month again, I swear. Reviews would make my heart do cartwheels!**


	3. A Unicorn with a Cape

**(A/N): Ack! How does time go by so fast?! It's been way too long again... You guts are totally losing faith in me, I can feel it. Oh well. I probably deserve it. I went home sick on Friday one week, and thought "Oh good! I'll get a**_** bunch **_**of fanfiction done!" Then I just spent the whole day reading. You guys know where I'm coming from, right?**

My head was spinning. Was I imagining things? Could it really have been the boy from my memories?

"Hey," I said.

He turned, glaring daggers at me. "What?"

"Um... nevermind." What was supposed to say, "_Hey, were you by any chance kidnapped from a science lab called 'the School' eight years ago"_? Uh, no.

He rolled his eyes at me, like the whitecoats did when I did something wrong at the School. _Stupid mutant._

That's when I realized, this kid hadn't seen my wings. If he had, he would have mentioned them when he was interrogating me. Hmm. That would give me an edge if we ever had to fight.

The boy stopped in front of a plain wood door. He knocked, and an oily voice called "Come in".

We entered the room. It itself looked like any other office with beige walls, a big desk, and a huge window taking up most of the back wall. No, it wasn't the room that caught my attention. It was the man sitting in the chair behind the big desk. We was peering at us through a monocle, one of those glass circles that you wore over one eye to help you see. He was dressed completely in black, except for a red cape. An honest-to-God cape, long and velvet. He had cold green eyes, black hair, and a black goatee. I'm not making this up.

"Greetings... enemy," he said over-dramatically.

"Uh, hey," I said.

Cape-boy did not look pleased. "Listen, intruder. From here on out you are my captive, and therefore I am your superior, and you shall address me properly, by my official name."

"Which is...?"

"Licorne. _Doctor _Licorne." I don't know if he intended to imitate James Bond or if it was just a fluke. I never really got around to asking, because something else was on my mind.

"Licorne..." I said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "But... isn't that French for... _unicorn_?"

"DAMMIT!" he yelled, pounding his fist on the table. "How does everyone know that?!"

"Sir," interrupted the dark-haired boy. "With all due respect, you're getting off topic."

"What? Oh, thank you, 092597. Back on track, I would like to observe our spy for a while. 092597, please escort her to the prisoners' quarters."

"Right away, sir."

Unicorn-man turned around in his spinny chair. I couldn't be sure, but I thought I saw the boy flip him off while his back was turned.

***

To my surprise, the "prisoners' quarters" was a small room with a bed, a dresser, and a chair. There was a shell on one wall with several books lined up on it. With an opponent as obsessed with melodramatic villiany as mine seemed, to be, I'd been expected a dungeon, or something along those lines. This was actually nicer than my place at the School.

I flopped down on my bed. "Hmph. Not bad," I said in a bored tone. "Well, bye-bye then, whatever-the-hell-your-number-was," I dismissed the boy.

The boy hesitated. "You know," he said at last "I have an actual name."

Okay... he was telling me this... why? _Well, _my Voice put in, _you're going to be here for a while. Don't you think you should at least know what to call each other? _

Yeah, my Voice. It's this random voice in my head that throws in useless advice from time to time. I didn't really know if it was good or bad. Either way, it was pretty annoying. But I do listen to it sometimes.

"So what is it?"

"Fang," he said simply. "What do they call you?"

It took me half a second to decide to give a fake name. I couldn't trust him, he was working for my enemy. _Tell him your name is Nudge _the Voice instructed.

"Nudge," I said on impulse, because it had been the first thing to come up. _Nudge? _I demanded of the Voice. _Wouldn't it make more sense to say, like, Marissa, or something?_

Sure enough, Fang (if that was his real name, for all I know he could be under an alias,too) was giving me a strange look.

_It's all part of the plan, Max, _the Voice assured me. _My plan. You'll see. It'll all come together in the end. _


	4. Conversation

**(A/N): Okay, I'm determined to break my bad habit of not updating this story for weeks, so here's anothother chapter. I still don't own Maximum Ride, or it's characters, and yadda yadda yadda legal stuff. **

I fell asleep quickly, despite all my worries. My dreams were filled with flashes of Fang and the dark-haired boy from my childhood. Were they really the same person? The logical half of me said no, that I was just stressed out and my fried brain was jumping to all sorts of crazy conclusions. Put there was also some part of me that insisted that I had found the little boy again, just as I had always dreamed of doing. Well, not under these circumstances, but you know what I mean.

In the morning (I'd assume it was morning, because although I had a lamp to give me light, there were no windows in the room) I was awakened by a sharp knock at my door, and Fang came in with some food. He set it down wordlessly and then walked out, never acknowledging me in any way.

So was the pattern for lunch and dinner, and breakfast the next day, and the lunch after that... Shall I continue?

Anyway, I began to lose track of time, but I believe it was the third day when I broke this cycle. "Hey," I said as he turned to leave.

He paused. "Yes?"

"Thanks."

"...You're welcome."

And that was it. That's all we said. But it was enough.

***

The next day, I was determined to do something. I didn't know what to do really, seeing as I was trapped in a small room with very little entertainment (none of the books held even the slightest of interest for me, they were all boring scientific books), but I knew I had to do something.

When Fang brought me my food (I'd lost track of what meal it was), instead of just letting him walk away I said "Hey. Why don't you sit down or something?"

"What?" he asked, wary and confused.

"Sit down," I repeated, gesturing to the chair. "Talk to me. Make conversation."

"Why? Is this some sort of escape plan?"

"No," I sighed. "I'm just bored. You've locked me up in here for however-many-days with nothing to do and it's driving me crazy!"

He stopped, thought about it, and then sat down. "Okay," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "What do you want to talk about?"

"How about your boss, aka 'Unicorn-Man'?"

Fang smiled humorlessly. "I wouldn't let him catch you call him that. He's very sensitive about his name."

"Cape-Boy, then?"

He considered this. "I don't see why not."

"Alright, then. What's Cape-Boy's deal?"

Fang sighed. "No one really knows. He's very secretive. Nobody here likes him that much, but we all stay. For different reasons."

"What's your reason?" I asked eagerly.

He didn't answer for a while, then said "Because I have no other choice."

"There's always another choice," I argued.

"Not for me. I was kidnapped by this place," he looked around in contempt "eight years ago, when I was six. I don't remember much from before that... they must've wiped my memory or something. So I have nowhere else to go. Besides, this place isn't awful... I just try to keep a low profile and sometimes they forget I'm here. I really am just sort of a servant, running stupid errands. Like bringing you your food."

_Wha-?! Could it really be...?_

"Don't you remember anything from before you were here?" I felt breathless. I was dying for answers. "A name? A face? A building?"

He scrunched up his face a little in thought. Actually, it was kind of cute. Wait, what?

"A girl," he said slowly. "A girl about my age, walking beside me , this a long, white hall."

Okay, this had just jetted right past 'weird' and straight to 'altogether much too freaky for words' on the Maximum Ride Scale of Oddities.

"What about you?" Fang asked, interrupting my flood of spastic thoughts.

"What?" I asked stupidly.

"Where are you from? What do you do there?"

"Huh? ...Well, I wouldn't be a very good spy if I just told you, would I?"

"No," Fang chuckled. "I suppose not."

We sat in silence for a while, then Fang said an awkward goodbye and left. Alone in my room, I smiled. Looks like I managed to accomplish one mission, even if it was a very small one.

**(A/N): Sorry, it's too short again. Honestly, it's a filler. It shouldn't be too long before my next update, but I have to think a little bit about the next chapter. One the one hand, I don't want two fillers in a row, but on the other, I don't want the next big plot twist I have in store to happen quite yet. So I'm working on something to go in between. Wish me luck!**


	5. Dreary Weather

**(A/N): Yeah. Too long again. I won't waste your time with excuses, I'll try to get into the habit of updating frequently. Please enjoy the chapter.**

_Their forms grow fainter. It is raining hard, and, as if they are made of chalk, they are being washed away. They aren't moving, aren't struggling, aren't even trying to fight. They stand, perfectly still, looking at me but somehow thorough me. They disappear more each second._

_"No!" I scream. "Iggy! Angel! No!" They don't acknowledge me. Their shapes continue to warp and dissolve._

I was still screaming when I woke up. I was also thrashing around in the sheets, a cold sweat breaking out on my skin. My breathing was ragged and I looked around wildly, trying to get my bearings.

I blame it on lack of said bearings that when I saw a dark figure in the corner, I screamed again.

"Good morning to you, too" he grumbled. Fang. I should have known. He'd been here a lot lately. I knew he secretly hated the other workers, Mr. Licorne, and Itex in general, something I planned on using to my advantage. But for now, I let him hang out in my room to avoid them for a while.

"Sorry," I muttered. "Bad dream."

"I noticed," he replied dryly, and it took every ounce of maturity I had to resist sticking my tongue out at him. "It's probably because of the bad weather," he said, shrugging.

"What's wrong with the weather?" I asked. "Is it cloudy?"

"It was _cloudy_ yesterday. Today, it's a full-blown downpour."

Oh. Well that explained the rain in my dream. But why was the rain washing Iggy and Angel away? They weren't there, nor were they made of chalk.

And then the answer hit me like a tornado. My message. The one I'd left to the two of them in case I didn't make it back. It would be ruined.

"What's wrong

"N-nothing..." I stammered. "I'm fine..." But I wasn't fine. That note was the last chance I'd had to say "good-bye" to my two friends! What if I never got back to them? What if they hadn't found the message, and didn't know how much I loved them? My heart was breaking. It couldn't be happening.

The Voice chose then to put in it's two cents. _"New friendships will strengthen older ones."_

"What's that supposed to mean?" I growled. "Why can't you just tell me how to get out of here?" Unsurprisingly, I got no answer.

But I did get a response. Fang was staring at me like I'd just grown another head, which, to my knowledge, I hadn't. That's when I realized I'd been speaking out loud.

_Shoot! _I really had to be more careful about that.

Fang looked at me suspiciously. "Are you wearing some kind of transmitter?" he demanded.

"No!" I exclaimed. "I was just... lost in thought."

He looked at me for a long time. "You know, you're not really that good at lying."

I was about to defend myself when I noticed something. As far as he knew, I wasn't. I had trouble lying to him, it just felt wrong, even though he was my enemy. And even when I did lie, he could see right through me like he'd known me my entire life. It was strange, because I'm usually pretty good. I'd learned very young that the right words could get you out of anything, and I usually knew just what to say. But with Fang, my silver tongue turned to lead.

I looked down at my feet. "Maybe I'm not."

There was a long awkward silence that seemed to go on for decades, until he finally broke it saying "Oh well. I'm out of here. I'll bring you back some breakfast soon."

He started for the door, and I yelled at his back "By the way! Stay out of here while I'm sleeping! It's creepy! It makes you seem like a stalker."

He laughed. "Good-bye, Max." Then he closed the door, and several minutes passed before I realized what he'd called me just before he left. Max. My name. Which he wasn't supposed to know.

**(A/N): Yes, this is very short, but it's a VERY IMPORTANT chapter. I didn't want to fill it up with useless banter between them, I thought it might take your attention away from the important topics. I left you plenty to review about: the message being destroyed, the Voice's seemingly irrelevant comment, the underlying faxness, and Fang knowing Max's name. So I'd really appreciate the feedback. Either way, love you all just for reading, hope you liked it!**


	6. A Dangerous Idea

**(A/N): Hey, guess what?! It's not totally my fault for the lack of updates this time! My internet is being evil and refuses to work, so I don't know how long it will be before I can put this up, but I'm hoping that when it does come back I'll be able to put up a couple new things! So, anyway, I recieved a lot of great reviews last time, and I'd thank all of you personally if I could go on and look up who you are. ;D**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own it, and so on and so forth. It is kinda weird that we always put disclaimers for fanfics, while it is completely obvious that we don't own them, and I don't really think we're gonna get sued if we don't. Sorry, just off on one of my mini-rants. We can go to the story now...**

More time passed. I got more and more depressed and more and more nervous with each passing moment.

Fang hadn't called me by name since that day, so I didn't know if he had called me 'Max' on purpose, or if he'd just let it slip.

How'd he find out, anyway? Itex probably had records on me, but Max wasn't an official name. The School adressed me as Experiment 6. Maybe they'd noted somewhere what I like to call myself?

And there was also the matter of the note I'd left. It had finally stopped raining (according to Fang) but the storm had gone on for a few days (according to Fang) and now the roads were flooded (according to Fang). I really wish I had a window in here. But I digress. The loss of the message made me shake with sadness and anxiety. I was thinking about Iggy and Angel a lot recently. What were they doing? Probably wondering where I was. I'd never told them about this; I didn't want them to worry. I had been over-confident, not even stopping to consider the possibility that I wouldn't come back. Now I only wish I'd at least said good-bye.

I was staring at the wall, pondering all this, when the door opened. I assume by this point, you don't need me to tell you that it was Fang. He actually smiled upon seeing me. "Finally gone crazy?"

"Maybe," I say lightly, only half joking. In a more serious tone I added "I don't know if I can stand another minute of this."

"Yeah, well," he said bitterly "Imagine taking it 24/7 since you were 8."

"Ah. But do you have _this_ for a room?" I said, gesturing to the obscenely small space in which I'd been kept for... weeks?... months?... I honestly had no idea.

"No. Mine's smaller. And I don't have any books."

"Oh. Well, you're not missing out on much. They're all science-y and junk. No real novels or anything. But why do you get an even smaller space than me?"

"That's simple: you're more important. You were breaking in, so obviously you have some sort of information about a company working against him. Even if it's just a name or a general location, that's all he really needs. I, on the other hand, am just one of the lackees."

"There are more lackees?" I asked, amused.

"Just two."

"Oh. Back on topic, Dr. Licorne hasn't tried to get anything out of me yet. And it feels like I've been here a while. What, I'm not important enough to be at the top of the 'Who to Torture Information Out Of' list?"

"Well, you saw what he's like. He's very melodramatic, so he'll want to keep you in suspense for a sufficient amount of time. And I don't think he'll torture you. Death threats? Yes, but torture? No."

"Oh. Well that's good. I think... but for the time being, I'm really going insane here. At least you're sort of free to get out during the day. I'm just stuck in this... this..."

"I know," he said. He paused for a minute, looking like he was thinking very hard. "If you want... we might be able to... but it would be really dangerous..."

"Dangerous? I like the sound of that. What's the plan?"

He looked me in the eye. "Nobody really hangs around this place at night. And I know where they keep a key to your room- "

"Why didn't you mention all this sooner?" I cried eagerly.

"Listen! If we get caught we're in trouble. And I mean BIG TROUBLE. We'll have to avoid the night guards, and you never really know here. Anybody could be anywhere. We'll have to be very, very careful."

I snorted. "'Careful' is my middle name."

"You do see why I might have a hard time believing you that, right?"

I glared at him. "I think I can handle it," I said, my voice as sharp and full of venom as a snake's fang.

"Good. I'll be by at around midnight."

"I don't have a clock."

"Good point. I'll be by."

**Short but important. Please click the button below; I assure you that it doesn't bite.**


	7. Sneaking Out

**(A/N): I worked pretty hard on this chapter, hope it's good. It actually isn't that eventful, but the next chapter is pretty important, so bear with me. I'd also like to thank my friends Jamie and Kati for their, um, "interesting" comments on this chapter. Well, okay, Jamie made comments, Kati just wrote stuff in my notebook that had absolutely no relation to the story. But I love you anyways. Another thing I wanted to add is that starting now, Fang is going to start getting a teeny bit out of character, meaning he talks a bit more than he usually would. But other than that, all is normal.**

**REVIEW!!!!!!!!**

For the rest of the day (apparently) my stomach was turning with anticipation. I couldn't resist pressing my ear against the door every few minutes to see if I could still hear the hustle and bustle outside.

I couldn't believe I was getting out of here after all this time, even for a little while. Maybe I could even find something useful for the School.

Eventually, the noise outside slowed and then stopped. I found myself holding my breath until I heard it: the jingling of keys. The door opened, and a piercing light sliced into my vision.

"Aaah! Those are my _eyes,_ you idiot!"

"Sorry," Fang whispered. He moved the flashlight so I could see. Then he gave me a breif grin. "Ready?"

***

I couldn't stop smiling as we walked down the hallway. I felt like skipping and/or dancing, but skipping and dancing are not things that Maximum Ride does. So I just continued to smile.

"Where are we going?"

"Anywhere that you can't find out anything important."

"Oh, you're no fun!"

"I can take you back at any time."

"No, I don't think you can. I mean, you had the element of surprise that one time and I think that's why you were able to drag me off to Unicorn Man, but, no offense or anything, I could probably take you in a fight. And I think you know that. I think you know that I could run at any time. So why are you doing this?"

"Because I trust you. It doesn't really make sense but I do."

"Yeah, I get it. Like, if I had any common sense, I would escape right now. But for some reason..." I trailed off, shrugging. Fang nodded to show he understood and we kept going.

"So," I said, breaking the silence, "do you trust me enough to take me outside?"

He thought about it. "Well, most of the doors are guarded, but if we could find somewhere to slip out, I don't see why not."

We walked for about half an hour until Fang said "Hey...", grabbed my arm, and led me down a hall. "I almost forgot about this door."

We stepped out, and for the first time in a long while I felt fresh air on my face and heard crickets chirping, and above me was the sky, dark and vast and full of glistening stars. I had to fight not to just leap up and start flying, to just rejoice in getting lost in that open black field.

"You know," I whispered into the cool wind, "we could just run away. I know you want to. Why don't we just leave and never come back?"

"Not tonight."

"Why not?! What if we never get the chance again?"

"Because tonight we just can't."

We walked in awkward silence after that. I kept my head down, looking at my feet. When I lifted it again, we were near the bushes that I had hidden behind when I had first come here, and left that message.

Suddenly a few tears welled up in my eyes. _No. I would not cry. I would not cry in front of Fang. _But I felt two droplets run a trail down my cheeks.

I tried to brush them away, but Fang saw them first.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing! You'd be crying too if all you had for company was a dark, emotionless wall named after a snake's tooth."

He looked downward, trying to cover a smile. Suddenly he grabbed my hand.

"Wha-"

"Come on," he said. "I have something to show you."


	8. Secrets And Surprises

**(A/N:) Guess what? Internet's down again. I hate my computer. Anyway, I have a couple chapters already written out so I should be able to do a mega-post once I FINALLY get this damned thing fixed. I'm actually working on Chapter 12 right now, but chapters 10 and 11 are actually really short. Anyways, I know this kind of dragged at the beginning but I think I'm all set with the plot now so from here on out there should be a bit more going on. Please enjoy, and in case there's some sort of miracle and it's working in time, Happy Valentine's Day. (lol, it's Feb. 5 now...)**

He pulled me closer to the bushes that I'd just been looking at.

"What is it?"

"I want you to see something."

We got to the bushes and slid behind them. "Look down," he whispered. I did and gasped, understanding immediately.

On the ground lay a big blue tarp. I tore it away, and underneath was my note, safe and dry.

"How?"

"I found it the day before it rained. I could tell it was yours and that it meant something to you, so I saved it."

"I... thanks."

"Yeah. No problem." I might've imagined it in the dark but I could have sworn he was actually _blushing_.

"How did you know it was mine? You thought that my name was Nudge."

"No, I didn't. Remember when I told you that there are two others like me? They were captured along with me eight years ago. There's a boy named the Gasman, he's eight, and there's an eleven-year-old girl. Her name is Nudge."

I was silent. Finally I said, "The Gasman, huh?"

Fang ignored my pathetic attempt to change the subject. "Why did you say that? Were you trying to mess with me? How did you know about her?"

"I didn't."

"Oh, so I suppose you just pulled the name 'Nudge' out of your head?" Well, he was close.

"No, I- I" and then I found myself coming clean, telling him all about the Voice. I didn't tell him about the School or my wings though. Not yet.

"Do you believe me?" I asked when I was done.

"Yes," he said. "But I get the feeling that there's more you're not telling me."

I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything, waiting for him to move on.

"So who are they?" he asked. "Iggy and Angel?"

"My friends," I said. "Angel's six. Iggy's fourteen and he's blind."

"Oh. Nudge and Gazzy are my friends."

"Can I meet them?" I asked on a whim.

He looked surprised but said, "Sure. I'll try to bring them by tommorow. But for now, I think we should head back."

I sighed. "Fine." I replaced the tarp in case it rained again, then we started back towards the building.

Just as we had gotten through the doors, I tripped over the shoelaces that Fang always forgets to remind me to tie (all his fault) and fell to the floor.

"You okay?" Fang whispered.

"Yeah. Just tripped, that's all."

He reached out his hand to help me up. But when he did, he let go of the door. It slammed shut. We both held our breath, and for a few seconds it was silent, and we thought we were safe. Then we heard footsteps and a voice saying, "I _swear _I just heard something over there!"

Then more footsteps and a second voice said, "Hey! Who's there?"


	9. Friendship and Faxness

**(A/N): Hey, whadda ya know, my computer's aliiiive! My dad helped me fix it! So, without further ado, I bring you (da da da DA) Chapter 9!!!**

"What do we do?" I whispered to Fang frantically.

"Just stay calm and follow my lead. I have a plan." He grabbed me by my elbow and dragged me towards the guards. "Come on, prisoner," he said loudly.

As soon as we rounded the corner I saw them. They were big, but they also looked stupid, exactly the kind of goons someone with a flare for melodrama like Dr. Licorne would hire.

"Hey, what are you kids doing?" one demanded.

"This prisoner was trying to escape. Not surprising, really. She seems to be a highly advanced spy, so it was to be expected. What I'm more interested in is why you didn't stop her."

The guys looked nervous now. "Come on, man, we didn't know."

"Isn't it your _job_ to know?" Fang asked quietly.

They started to stutter out an excuse.

"Leave," Fang interrupted. "Get out of here and I won't tell anyone about this."

They thanked him and ran away.

"Pretty good," I said when they were gone. "My plan was to scramble into the vents."

"And then slowly starve to death after we got lost?"

"Okay, so I didn't have time to work out the details."

We were back at the room before long.

"Good night," he said. "I'll see you tommorow."

"You'd better! And bring new people! I'm getting tired of you."

"Good. Night. Max." Fang said firmly and closed the door.

I plopped down on my bed and fell asleep.

***

It didn't feel like I slept for very long, but once I was awake, I couldn't drift back off again.

As much as I was looking forward to meeting Fang's friends, I was also nervous. Despite what he'd said about my room being nicer, would they really want to meet the prisoner?

The door creaked open. "Morning." Fang seemed to be alone.

"I thought you were bringing me company," I grumbled.

"I did, he reassured me. "But I went ahead a little because I feel I should warn you about Nudge. She can be a little-"

Beforre he could finish his sentence, something brown streaked into the room and knocked me over with a bone-snapping hug.

"Hi. I'm Nudge."

"-excitable," Fang finished. He sighed, then looked around. "Where's Gazzy?"

"Oh, he's-" Nudge broke off, walking to the door, sticking her head out and glancing around. "Huh. He must have run off."

Fang rolled his eyes. "I'll go get him. And _you,_" he said, pointing to Nudge, "don't break Max."

She stuck her tongue out at him and he left. She turned back to me. "So, what's up? You must have been going up the wall with only _him_ around, right?" She was smiling as she said it, though.

"Heh, yeah. So is he, like, your boyfriend?" I decided the only reason I was nervous was because I'd never really done the "girl talk" thing before. Yeah. That had to be it.

"Fang? My boyfriend?" She laughed. "No. I mean, he's cool and everything, but he's more like my brother."

I tried not to be too happy. It didn't work.

"Why?" She asked. "Wait- do you- OHMYGOD you totally like him!!!"

"What? No. I was just wondering. You two seemed close."

She gave me a 'look'. "Uh-huh," she said sarcastically. Then she smiled again. "Don't worry. I won't tell."

No. There was absolutely _no way on Earth_ that I liked Fang. He worked for my enemy!

_"Your enemy or the School's enemy?" _the Voice asked.

But I was saved from answering when the door opened again. "I found Gazzy," Fang said.

A little boy stepped into the room. A little boy with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. A little boy who looked just like Angel.


	10. School Days

**(A/N): Okay, I already know that this chapter is sooo short. I'm sorry, it just worked out that way. I promise Chapter 11 will be put up with this, because as unfaithful as I am about posting, I wouldn't be so cruel as to leave you with this. Again, I apologize. Review!**

"Hi," said the little boy.

"Hi," I said. "You're the Gasman, right?"

"Yep. But you can call me Gazzy." Well, it was better than Gasman.

"Cool," I said. "So it's just you three, huh?" I asked casually.

"Mm-hmm," Nudge said happily, twirling a piece of her wild brown hair around her finger. "We've been here for, like, eight years. Gaz was just a baby when we came! I was three. I don't remember much of anything from before that. In fact, I don't even remember how I got here. It's just Home Sweet Home, I guess." She looked a bit sad at that last part but it passed quickly. I wondered if she and Gazzy hated Itex as much as Fang did.

"Do you remember anything from before you came here?"

She tilted her face up towards the ceiling, her face thoughtful. "A white building? Lots of white inside? Like, white halls and rooms and stuff? Metal?"

"Metal?"

"Like, a lot of stuff there was made of metal. I think."

It was a perfect description of the School. Itex must have taken them. But I still don't think they could be experiments 7, 9, and 10. After all, if they were, they'd have wings!

**I know, I know, it's absolutely pathetic! Don't hate me! I just had to get this in! Next chapter's already written, I'm gonna type it up now, and then I'll put them both up together. Okay?**


	11. Lovebirds

**(A/N): Can't say sorry enough times! And this chapter isn't much longer! Shoot! Okay, Chapter 12 might have to go up with these. I don't know what got into me with these little short chappies! I promise it won't ever happen again!**

Nudge and Gazzy became regular visitors. I was glad to have their company, despite Nudge's constant insinuations that I had a thing for Fang.

The more I got to know Gazzy the more he seemed like Angel. They were both sweet, goofy kids.

One day, when Fang and I were alone, I asked him, "Remember when we broke out? And you said we couldn't leave that night?"

"Yes, he said guardedly.

"When we do get out of here, we have to take them."

"I know."

I jumped up. "So we are getting out of here?!?"

He sighed. "Yes. But not now."

My face fell. "When?"

"Soon."

"Fine! But when we do go, we have to get Iggy and Angel. I can't leave them behind."

"Why do I get the feeling that it will be dangerous?"

"Because it will be. Very, very dangerous. But we don't have a choice."

He hesitated but then said, "Okay."

Without thinking, I flung my arms around him. "Thank you!

After a second, his arms slowly wrapped around me. "You're welcome," he mumbled.

"Of course, JUST THEN the door had to open and an unfamiliar voice had to say, "Well, well, well. Look at you two lovebirds. I'm almost sad that I have to split you up."

**Oh no! It's even shorter than I thought! I guess you guys get chapter 12, too. Really, though, I am sorry about these. I probably should have just put a pagebreak between them. So, yeah, still no real action or romance (lol, it's like a game; "How Long Can She Stretch the Damn Thing Out?"!) But it should pick up a little now. Hopefully. Maybe.**


	12. We're Off to See the Unicorn

**(A/N): FINALLY!!! A chapter of suitable length! I'd like to take the oppurtunity to thank everyone who reads this. I know I'm really dragging it out, but I do know what's going to happen, so now there should be an actual plot. So, a million 'thank you's' to anyone who's stuck through it, I hope it's okay.**

Fang and I broke apart at the speed of light. Standing in the doorway was a woman of about 21. She had thick, way, dirty-blonde hair down to her waist and stone cold green eyes. She was wearing a red shirt with white flowers on it, a plain white jacket, and jeans.

"Lily," Fang snarled.

"Hello, traitor," sighed Lily, sounding impossibly disinterested. "Sorry to interrupt but Dr. L needs to see your little girlfriend." She grabbed my shoulder, her long, dark-purple nails digging into my flesh, and dragged me away.

She took me to the same office that Fang had brought me to when he had first found me. Lily didn't release her grip on my shoulder until we were inside and the door was locked. Smart girl, I'll give her that. I thought about trying to fight my way out, but the door required a code to unlock it, which I didn't know, so if I did take them out, I'd just be stuck in here with them until they came around, and then they'd be even madder. Damn.

"Hello again... Maximum," Dr. Licorne said dramatically.

"Do you know how tired I am of being dragged here by the arm?"

He scowled at me. "I had hoped that some time in solitary would take a healthy toll on your attitude. But I see you're still as arrogant as ever."

I grinned. "You'd better believe it."

"She was fraternizing with 092597 when I walked in to collect her," Lily put in. They say first impressions are usually wrong, but I didn't think the 'mega-bitch' vibes I was getting from her were misread. Plus I didn't know what 'fraternizing' meant.

"Is this true, Maximum?" Dr. Licorne asked.

"No! We weren't fratenizing, we were hugging!"

Licorne rolled his eyes and Lily snickered, so I'd probably just said something stupid.

"We will deal with him later," Licorne said dismissively, playing with his cape.

"What? It's not his fault! _I _hugged_ him_!"

"It does not matter now," he said coldly, locking his eyes on mine. "All I need from you right now is information."

"Information you'll never get, but go ahead and take a crack at it. This should be funny."

"Listen, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Easy way: you tell me where you're from, I take them down, and you can get out of my sight. Hard way: you choose not to tell me, I send you back to solitary, and we try this again another day. And believe me, it will not be so easygoing. Either way, I don't see much humor in your life right now."

"Hmm," I said, pretending to think it over, a malicious gleam in my eye. "Let's go with... the Hard Way."

Lily stepped, forward, looking furious. "You stupid little-"

Dr. Licorne held up his hand for her to stop. "She was given a decision, and she made it." Turning to me, he said, "You are now free to return to your chamber. Please send 092597 in on your way out."

Lily, punched in the code, blocking the keypad protectively with her body so that I couldn't see, and I left.

Fang was sitting against the wall outside the door, his knees to his chest, head titled back.

"They want to see you," I said through a nervous lump in my throat. Dropping my voice, I added, "What are you going to tell them? They want to know why we were-"

"Fraternizing?" he grinned. Eavesdropper.

"It's a long word!"

He shook his head, then said calmly, "Don't worry. I'm going to lie." Then I walked past me into the room.

I started to walk back, then hesitated. If he could listen in, I decided, so could I.


End file.
